New technology applications will need ubiquitous Internet coverage. The Internet of Things means that wireless interaction between machines, vehicles, appliances, sensors and many other devices will take place using the Internet. It already makes electronic travel cards possible, and will allow mobile devices to exchange information to pay for things or get information from billboards. It is predicted that such technology will be in more than one billion phones by 2015.

The Commission Communication adopted today said that the EU should stimulate investment in next generation broadband access, for example strengthening the involvement of local authorities who may facilitate the access to ducts (or digging of new ones) for faster broadband fibre cables during civil works, keep the Internet open to competition, prevent unfair restrictions in consumers' choice, safeguard consumer confidence in using the Internet and fund research in the Internet of the future. The Communication is accompanied by a new Broadband Performance Index that compares competition, coverage, speed and quality of Internet access across Europe. The index shows that Sweden and the Netherlands are clear leaders in the EU, thanks to a competition-friendly environment and skilled citizens and businesses that can use advanced services.

See Commission Communication on Future networks and the Internet 

See public consultation on the Internet of Things

Source: Europa

Los presidentes de los organismos reguladores de América Latina eligieron al Organismo Supervisor de la Inversión Privada en Telecomunicaciones (OSIPTEL), para que lidere en el año 2010 a las entidades regulatorias de América Latina que están agrupadas en Regulatel.

Por otro lado, el OSIPTEL y los miembros de Regulatel se han propuesto reducir las tarifas del roaming internacional entre los países de América del Sur, la cual permitirá que el público que viaje al interior de nuestros países lleve su equipo móvil y realice sus llamadas a un precio mucho más bajo del que se paga actualmente.

See Press Release
Source: OSIPTEL

The Consumer Protection Test for telephone number allocation will prohibit the allocation of 070 personal numbers, 0871/2/3 special service higher rate numbers and 09 premium rate numbers by Ofcom to anyone who appears on either of two lists. The lists, which will be published on the Ofcom website, will name companies and individuals that have in the past used telephone numbers to cause serious or repeated harm to consumers or are involved in cases that we are currently investigating. In compiling the lists, Ofcom will assess individuals and companies (including company directors) that have come to its attention by being subject to a decision from a relevant authority (such as PhonepayPlus, the Office of Fair Trading or the police) and where telephone numbers were central to the behaviour that led to the decision concerned. Scams, frauds and other abuses carried out by individuals and companies using telephone numbers cause serious consumer harm and threaten confidence in certain numbers. Ofcom is responsible for managing the UK’s telephone numbers and for ensuring that best use is made of this resource. Ofcom allocates telephone numbers to a broad range of providers who may then sub-allocate them to organisations, businesses and individuals to use themselves.  From 1 January 2009, the test will apply to numbers newly allocated by Ofcom to communications providers.  Ofcom will allow communications providers to take a self-regulatory approach to introducing a similar consumer protection test in their own number allocation processes and strongly encourages providers to do so.  Ofcom will monitor progress to see if this approach is sufficient and will consider additional regulation where necessary.

See Statement
Source: OFCOM

The Commission today welcomed the Colombian national regulator's (the National Commission for Television CNTV) selection the European Digital Video Broadcasting standard (DVB-T) for the country's digital terrestrial TV. The terrestrial DVB standard, DVB-T, has already been adopted in Europe and by over 120 countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania and Latin America. The decision by the Colombian regulator will confirm the EU's commitment to working with Colombia and the rest of Latin America to better exploit the potential of ICT and media. Other Latin American countries (such as Peru, Venezuela, Argentina or Chile) are expected to decide soon about their digital TV standard. In August 2007, Uruguay was the first Latin American country to choose to use the DVB family of standards for its digital TV needs.

Source: Europa

Ofcom published today further consultation documents as part of its Pay TV market investigation and its consideration of the proposal from BSkyB/Arqiva for a new Pay TV service called “Picnic” on digital terrestrial TV.
 
The Pay TV consultation document can be found here
The consultation on “Picnic” can be found here
 
Source: OFCOM

The National Telecom Regulatory Authority Board of Directors decided to defer the auction of the second fixed license for a year as a response to the changes taking place in the international markets. The deadline for submitting the offers of the second fixed license was due on 18th September.
According to Dr. Amr Badawi, the Executive President of the NTRA, this decision was issued in the light of the discussions that took place between the NTRA and the twelve companies that bought the specifications handbook. The ICT international markets in Europe and the United States are facing major fluctuations due to the increasing inflation rates and the increasing prices. The ICT investments worldwide are accordingly shrinking. Therefore the decision was taken to postpone the license until a tangible improvement in the international market is witnessed. It is worth mentioning in this regard that the investments of the second fixed license are not expected to be less than one billion dollars during the first years of operation.

See Press Release
Source: Egypt - NTRA National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA), acting on behalf of the government, has imposed a daily fine equivalent to five million Rwandan francs 5,000,000 Rwf for two weeks for poor network services.

During that period, MTN Rwandacell shall submit to RURA, a clear roadmap showing the actions to be undertaken to meet the quality of service standards. The road map shall ensure that MTN will be able to solve the problem within a period not exceeding two months. The road map shall be subject to the Regulatory Board approval.

See Press Release / Decision
Source: Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency

The basic principle of the Commission's draft Recommendation on regulatory strategy to promote high-speed Next Generation Access networks in Europe sets out that national regulatory authorities should provide access to the networks of dominant operators at the lowest possible level. In particular, they should mandate access to the ducts of the dominant operators allowing competitors to roll out their own fibre. However NRAs should also impose further physical access obligations (access to unlit fibre) beyond access to ducts where ducts are not available or the population density is too low for a sustainable business model. Access to active elements such as "bitstream" shall be maintained provided lower level remedies do not sufficiently address distortions of competition. The draft Recommendation provides also a common approach to ensure non-discriminatory access, as well as a methodology for calculating a proper rate of return, including a risk premium. The Commission believes that for NGA, rates of return should be derived in the light of the risks associated with this kind of investment, bearing in mind that the nominal pre-tax weighted average cost of capital for fixed and mobile operators has been roughly 8 to 12% in recent years. Broadband access is currently regulated by national regulators. The objective of the Commission's Recommendation will be to foster the application of consistent access remedies on dominant NGA operators. It builds on the European Regulators Group ("ERG") opinion on regulatory principles of NGA submitted to the Commission on 1 October 2007.

The Commission's public consultation document can be found here. 
The work of the ERG on NGA is available here  and here. 

Source: Europa

Ofcom has today published a joint response with the UK Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform to the European Commission draft Recommendation on the Regulatory Treatment of Fixed and Mobile Termination Rates in the EU consultation. The response can be found at here.  A technical document supporting the response can be found at here.

Source: OFCOM
 

The Department of State for Communication, Information and Information Technology, in conjunction with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, has declared a drastic reduction in interconnection rates between GSM mobile and fixed network operators with effect from October 8.

According to the officials, interconnection rates among all the operators in the country would be reduced from D2.50 (US$0.12)/D2.00 (US$0.10) to D1.00 (US$0.1), by October 8. There will be a second phase to the reduction campaign as the authorities intend to bring the tariffs further down from the revised charge of D1.00 to D0.50 (US$0.025) by April 8, 2009.

See Press Release
Source: Balancing Act

In search of the best strategies to boost Europe's leadership in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) research and innovation in the next decade, the European Commission today launched a public consultation. Contributions from industry, ICT experts, policy-makers and the wider public will be fed into a new strategy for ICT research and innovation, to be unveiled next year. The aim is to put European ICT industry, especially SMEs, to the fore of the race for global competitiveness. The public consultation is open until 7 November 2008.

Source: Europa

The European Parliament will debate, in plenary session, the so-called EU Telecoms Reform. On 13 November 2007, the European Commission had proposed to the European Parliament and the Council of Telecoms Ministers to reform the EU Telecoms rules (in place since 2003) to reinforce competition and investment and to create a Single Telecoms Market in the EU with innovative cross-border services and wireless high-speed broadband for all. Following an intense debate and many hearings, the European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) and the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) voted on amendments on 7 July (MEMO/08/491). The debate in the European Parliament's plenary with its 785 members is expected to pave the way for a vote on the Commission's entire EU Telecoms reform proposals in first reading on 23 September. Depending on the outcome of the vote and the discussions in the Council of Telecoms Ministers of 27 November, a political agreement on the final legislative texts could be achieved between the three institutions by the end of the year. The new regulatory framework would then become the law in all 27 EU Member States by 2010.

Source: Europa